Diversity group recommends candidates for NFL head coaching jobs

By Mark Maske, The Washington Post

Published 2:54 pm, Wednesday, December 21, 2016

The diversity group that works with the NFL on its hiring practices has recommended a list of minority head coaching candidates that includes offensive coordinators Anthony Lynn of Buffalo, Terry Robiskie of Tennessee and Harold Goodwin of Arizona and defensive coordinators Teryl Austin of Detroit, George Edwards of Minnesota and Vance Joseph of Miami.

The recommendations were made by the Fritz Pollard Alliance when it held its annual meeting with NFL officials about hiring issues Monday.

“We feel like these guys are ready,” John Wooten, the chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, said in a phone interview. “These guys are from winning programs. One thing we said to the league is that we know the Rooney Rule says you have to interview at least one minority candidate. We’d like the league and the ownership to go beyond that. We want them to look at the entire body of work, bring in a number of guys and let the interview process determine who gets the job.”

The recommendations made by the Fritz Pollard Alliance are forwarded to teams.

There were seven coaching changes made league-wide before this season. All seven of the jobs went to offensive-minded coaches. That could work in favor of offensive coordinators like Lynn, Robiskie and Goodwin.

Lynn was promoted to offensive coordinator in Buffalo when the Bills fired Greg Roman two games into the season. The Bills have played better since then, going 7-5 following a 0-2 start. But Lynn could be out of a job in Buffalo if Ryan and his coaching staff are dismissed.

Goodwin’s Cardinals have struggled this season after reaching the NFC title game last season. But Goodwin remains respected within the league.

“We know everybody is going wild over the passing game and it’s the offensive coaches who are getting these [head coaching] jobs,” Wooten said. “We’re very conscious of that. When you sit down with ownership as a candidate, you have to have your staff together and you have to show how you can fit in with this passing era.”

Austin, like Lynn, participated in multiple head coaching interviews a year ago without being hired. Austin’s chances of landing a head coaching job could be improved this time around, with the Lions perhaps en route to an NFC North title. But to be hired as a head coach, he would have to break the trend of teams hiring offensive coaches.

“If you’re Teryl Austin or whoever, you have to show the decision-makers that you’ll have a staff that can handle that kind of thing,” Wooten said. “I’ve said this to Teryl Austin and all the guys: You’ve got to be able to go in there and show the owners that you’ll be able to compete on offense and win. The one thing about guys like Bill Parcells, Tom Landry, Bill Belichick is they know how to teach and coach and motivate players on all sides of the ball. The people in the stands want to see the ball going down the field. But we saw it last year that it was the team with the defense that won the trophy at the end.”

In Minnesota, Edwards works for a defensive-minded head coach, Mike Zimmer. But Edwards was able to show what he can do when he served as the Vikings’ defensive play-caller for a recent prime-time game against the Cowboys while Zimmer was absent after undergoing emergency eye surgery. The Vikings held the Dallas offense in check and kept the game close before losing on a failed two-point conversion attempt late.

Joseph left the Bengals’ staff to become the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator this season under their first-year head coach, Adam Gase. Some regard Joseph as a rising star within the coaching ranks but it is unclear if he is widely regarded as ready to move up to a head coaching job after one season as a coordinator. Morris is the former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His coaching background is on defense but he has made the switch to the offensive side in Atlanta. He could be overshadowed as a head coaching candidate on the Falcons’ staff, however, by offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

Of the seven head coaches hired a year ago, Jackson was the only minority coach hired. That has led to some criticism of the effectiveness of the Rooney Rule, which is named for longtime Steelers owner Dan Rooney and requires each team with a head coaching vacancy to interview at least one minority candidate. The rule was extended in 2009 to include general manager and equivalent front office positions.

Fritz Pollard Alliance officials always have stressed that they focus primarily on attempting to ensure that minority candidates are given fair opportunities in the interview process, rather than fixating solely on the number of minority head coaches hired. Wooten said he is satisfied with how the process is working.

“I think the league is doing a very good job,” Wooten said. “Just about everybody that we had on our short list last year got two or three interviews. I think the league has moved to a good place when it comes to inclusion. I think we’re all satisfied in terms of what is happening. I did tell them that we have to be better in terms of the pipeline of young coaches coming in from the colleges. We have to pay very close attention to that.”

The group also recommended a list of general manager candidates. That list includes front office executives Martin Mayhew of the New York Giants, Will McClay of the Cowboys and Chris Grier of the Dolphins.

Mayhew is the former GM of the Lions and now serves as the director of football operations for the Giants. McClay is the senior director of college and pro personnel in Dallas. Grier has the GM title in Miami but reports to Mike Tannenbaum, the Dolphins’ executive vice president of football operations.